Why has he become the focus of a police investigation?

He claimed two masked men in ski masks used racial and anti-gay slurs and shouted “This is MAGA [Make America Great Again] country!”.

According to the claims, the men looped a rope around his neck before running away. He said they also poured some kind of chemical on him but he fought them off and was admitted to hospital and discharged a few hours later.

Public figures, including celebrities and Democrat politicians, expressed public support for Smollett on social media.

Smollett also told police he was on the phone to his manager Brandon Z. Moore at the time of the attack, with Moore confirming he heard some of what happened including the MAGA cry and a racist slur.

What happened after the attack?

Chicago Police released CCTV footage of two individuals walking down a street who they said were wanted for questioning.

However, police said they combed surveillance video but were unable to find any footage of the attack.

Celebrities including Katy Perry, John Legend and Viola Davis spoke out on Twitter in support of the artist.

Have any arrests been made?

On Wednesday 13 February , Chicago police picked up two brothers of Nigerian descent at O’Hare International Airport as they returned from Nigeria. Police described them as “suspects” in the assault, questioned them and searched their apartment.

But late on Friday 15 February, the two men were released without charge as police said they were no longer suspects.

Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said: “Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete.”

Chicago Police then told ABC News: “Police are investigating whether the two individuals committed the attack – or whether the attack happened at all.”

Who are the two men arrested?

The men have been extras on Empire and know Smollett from working on the show. According to a statement from Smollett’s lawyer, one is his personal trainer who he hired to get him physically ready for a music video.

The statement added: “It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.”

Smollett has denied he staged the attack and paid the two men (Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)

What has Smollett said about the incident?

Apart from his report to police, the actor told ABC News that he at first hesitated to call police because “we live in a society where as a gay man you are considered somehow to be weak. And I am not weak. And we as a people are not weak”.

He then did an emotional interview with Good Morning America during which he broke down in tears as he shared details of the attack and told host Robin Roberts he was “pissed off” that people were doubting him.

He said: “It’s the attackers, but it’s also the attacks. You know, at first it was a thing of, if I tell the truth, that’s it, because it’s the truth. Then it became a thing of like, oh, how can you doubt that? How do you not believe that? It’s the truth.

“And then it became a thing of, oh, it’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth.”

He added: “It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot much more. And that says a lot about the place where we are as a country right now.”

Why are questions being raised over his allegation?

Doubts began to form when Smollett initially refused to give police his mobile phone because the device contained private content and phone numbers.

Some even began to question Smollett’s claim and wonder if he had concocted the entire story with many taking to social media to share their doubts.

EMPIRE CASE UPDATE: Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the #Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete. #ChicagoPolice

On Saturday night, spokesman Anthony Guglielmi issued a statement which said: “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation.

“We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.”

Law firm Todd Pugh and Victor P Henderson said Smollett would continue to cooperate with police, but felt “victimised” by reports he might have been involved in the attack.

A statement said: “Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

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